Published on : February 2, 2021
A group of social work educators continues to refine recommendations that intentionally work toward a more antiracist vision of social work education. CSWE’s Task Force to Advance Anti-Racism in Social Work Education was convened in 2020 with the purpose of developing a plan of action to make social work education stronger by integrating antiracism pedagogies and methods.
Although the final report and recommendations are still being refined, the group presented initial ideas during CSWE’s 2020 Annual Program Meeting. The task force is chaired by Tracy Whitaker, DSW, and Yolanda Padilla, PhD. Educators and volunteers serve in four workgroups:
- Curriculum Development: Chairs Michael Robinson, PhD, and Yarneccia Dyson, PhD
- Faculty and Student Racial/Ethnic Equity: Chairs Rocio Calvo, PhD, and Lauren M. Davis, MSW
- Educational Policy and Accreditation: Chairs Rebecca Maldonado Moore, PhD, and Michele A. Rountree, PhD, MSW
- Conferences and Faculty Development: Chairs Tiffany D. Baffour, PhD, and Karina Gil, PhD, MSW
“It should not have been any surprise that there were common themes that emerged. Each of these work groups has taken their responsibilities seriously and thought beyond their assigned focus. When you think about improvements to curriculum, you naturally also think of ways to improve equity among faculty and students,” said CSWE President & CEO Darla Spence Coffey, PhD, MSW.
In the coming months, CSWE’s Board of Directors will review the reports of the task force and direct CSWE to use the recommendations to develop plans to advance antiracism for CSWE and its program members.
Watch workgroup chairs discuss their initial recommendations in this video: